Know thou that God—exalted and glorified be He—doth in no
wise manifest His inmost Essence and Reality. From time immemorial He hath been
veiled in the eternity of His Essence and concealed in the infinitude of His
own Being. And when He purposed to manifest His beauty in the kingdom of names
and to reveal His glory in the realm of attributes, He brought forth His
Prophets from the invisible plane to the visible, that His name “the Manifest”
might be distinguished from “the Hidden” and His name “the Last” might be
discerned from “the First”, and that there may be fulfilled the words: “He is
the First and the Last; the Seen and the Hidden; and He knoweth all things!”
[Qur’án 57:3] Thus hath He revealed these most excellent names and most exalted
words in the Manifestations of His Self and the Mirrors of His Being.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
*********
Strain every nerve to acquire both inner and outer perfections, for the fruit of the human tree hath ever been and will ever be perfections both within and without. It is not desirable that a man be left without knowledge or skills, for he is then but a barren tree. Then, so much as capacity and capability allow, ye needs must deck the tree of being with fruits such as knowledge, wisdom, spiritual perception and eloquent speech. (Baha’u’llah, The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I, Excellence in All Things)
From ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
When we observe the contingent world, we see that ignorance
is imperfection and knowledge is perfection, and thus we say that the
sanctified Essence of the Divinity is all-knowing. Weakness is imperfection and
power is perfection, and thus we say that that sanctified and divine Essence is
all-powerful. It is not that we can understand His knowledge, His sight, His
hearing, His power, or His life as they are in themselves: This is assuredly
beyond our comprehension, for the essential names and attributes of God are
identical with His Essence, and His Essence is sanctified above all
understanding…
It follows that all these names, attributes, laudations, and praises apply to the Manifestations of God Themselves, and that all that we may construe or conceive besides them is sheer delusion, for we can never find a path to the Invisible and Inaccessible. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)
*********
… look not on the degree of your capacity, ask not if you are worthy of the task: rest ye your hopes on the help and loving-kindness, the favours and bestowals of Bahá'u'lláh -- may my soul be offered up for His friends! Urge on the steed of high endeavour over the field of sacrifice, and carry away from this wide arena the prize of divine grace. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Baha)